Bombardier Zefiro is a family of high-speed passenger trains designed by Bombardier Transportation whose variants have top operating speeds of between 250 km/h (155 mph) and 380 km/h (236 mph).

The family consists of: the Zefiro 250, which has a top operating speed of 250 km/h (155 mph) and which is for the moment wholly manufactured in China; the Zefiro 300, which has a top operating speed of 300 km/h (186 mph); and the Zefiro 380, which has a top operating speed of 380 km/h (236 mph).

Additionally the company has independently produced high-speed trainsets for specific markets, such as CRH1, "Xinshisu" (China), X 2000,[5]Regina (Sweden) and BM71 (Norway).[6]

In November 2005 Bombardier launched its general solution, the Zefiro single-deck train for high-speed rail lines, available in 4-, 8-,12- or 16-car sets,[4] capable of being configured for a variety of supply voltages,[3] and produced in either standard (2.9 m or 9 ft 6 in) or a wide (3.4 m or 11 ft 2 in) widths.[2]

The Zefiro trainset is a conventional (non-inter-coach articulated) single-deck electrical-multiple-unit high-speed train. It consists of powered and unpowered cars, with motorized power cars at either end.[4] Car bodies are constructed of aluminium, with the exception of the wide-bodied Zefiro 250 trains, which have stainless steel bodies. They have customisable open-plan layouts.[7]

Trains are made up of 4-car units, each of which contains a transformer and its own power supply. Typically, the end cars of each 4-car unit have powered bogies, with the two middle cars being unpowered. The pantograph is located on one of the unpowered cars.[1]

The specifications for all current designs (2009) describe asynchronous three-phase motors, with forced air cooling.[1] However, Bombardier also offers the option of permanent-magnet synchronous motors[8] (which it groups in its "ECO4" energy-saving technologies),[9] which were tested on modified Regina trains in 2008 on the "Green Train" (Swedish: Gröna Tåget).[10]

The first variant of the Zefiro concept to be produced was a series of twenty 16-car EMU sleeper trains produced by Bombardier's joint venture Sifang Power (Qingdao) Transportation (BSP), which were delivered from 2009. These trains were the first high-speed trains license manufactured in China as well as the highest speed sleeper trains at that time.[5]

Starting acceleration is greater than 0.6 m/s2 (2.0 ft/s2), with a 16-car train weight of 859 t (845 long tons; 947 short tons) and an axle load of 16.5 t (16.2 long tons; 18.2 short tons), bogie type is that found on the Regina (train) with 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) wheelbase with 63% of axles motorized.[13]

In September 2012, based on a modified contract with Bombardier, The MOR ordered an additional 106 8-car trains, 60 of which are to be a new variant, designated the Zefiro 250NG. This variant is an evolution of the original, and will utilize different materials in order to provide weight savings and more efficient operation.[15]

The Zefiro 300 is intended for European operations, with a UICprofile, and capable of being fitted for use on all four European electrification schemes (1.5 & 3 kV DC, 15 & 25 kV AC). Bogies are FLEXX type with a 2.85 m (9 ft 4 in) wheelbase,[13] 50% of which are motorized. Starting acceleration is greater than 0.60 m/s2 (2.0 ft/s2). It has an axle load of approximately 17 t (16.7 long tons; 18.7 short tons).[13]
Two 8-car sets can be joined together to form one longer train.[13]

A variant of the Zefiro 300 was offered by Bombardier in association with AnsaldoBreda to Trenitalia, the Italian national railway service, as part of a bid for 50 new high-speed trainsets in 2010.[17] Trenitalia selected this bid as the winner on 5 August 2010.[18] These entered service in 2015 and are designated ETR 1000.[19]

In September 2009, Bombardier announced an order for eighty Zefiro 380 high-speed trains by the Chinese Ministry of Railways (MOR) to be produced at Bombardier's joint venture Sifang (Qingdao) Transportation Ltd. The order of twenty 8-car sets and sixty 16-car sets was estimated to be worth 27.4 billion RMB (approx €2.7 billion or $4 billion). The value of Bombardier's share is estimated at €1.3 billion.
[21][22]

Under China railways use these trains have been designated CRH1C (8-car set) and CRH1D (16-car set).[12] which was in December 2010 revised to CRH380C and CRH380CL and once again to CRH380D (8-car set) & CRH380DL (16-car set) according to the new numbering system.[23]

As of the most recent news, the order has been amended to include only seventy 8-car sets, designated as the CRH380D. Orders for the 16-car DL sets were converted to D sets in late 2011.[15]

All the 85 trainsets have been delivered and are currently operated by Shanghai Railway Bureau & Chengdu Railway Bureau.

Swedish regional transport authority Västtrafik ordered 40 new trains in 2018, later increased to 45 trains, of a new model capable of 200 km/h. They will have three cars and be around 80 meters long. First delivery is planned to end of 2021.[24][25]